Unlike other syngnathids, the weedy seadragon is not a victim of bycatch or a target of trade in traditional Chinese medicine.
Unlike other syngnathids, the weedy seadragon is not presently a victim of bycatch or a target of trade in traditional Chinese medicine.
These activities are currently a threat to many related seahorse and pipefish populations, as members of these species have often been used in Asia as aphrodisiacs and other medicines. Oriental herbalists can sell their dried and powdered bodies for up to $200 per gram.
• Image | © Klaus Stiefel, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC 2.0)
• Sources | (Frostic, 2000; Martin-Smith & Vincent, 2006; Pollom, 2017; The Wikimedia Foundation, 2019; Zoo & Aquarium Assocation)
